


Dragon Hunter

by Naji_Dragonchild



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst, Blood and Violence, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Needs a Hug, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders-centric, Dorks in Love, Dragon Riders, Everyone Is Gay, Fire, Fluff and Angst, Head Injury, Language, M/M, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Polyamory, Possible Character Death, Smitten Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naji_Dragonchild/pseuds/Naji_Dragonchild
Summary: There are dragons almost everywhere in the world. Dangerous, hungry beasts nearly impossible to kill.For years the royal knights have been hunting for them but after a group of rebels riding on dragons appeared it became even more dangerous.Roman a talented knight begins to have second thoughts about whether dragons are truly nothing but monsters but when his home town is attacked suddenly the hunt becomes personal.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton
Comments: 23
Kudos: 51





	1. I'll be back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, publishing the third Sanders Sides AU: I back on my f*cking bullshit and u can't stop me!

Roman woke up to the first sunbeams shining in through the window.  
He didn't want to be awake. He wanted to fall back asleep and cuddle with his lovers.

"Morning, Princey", a deep voice behind him murmured.

He turned and met Virgil's eyes, still dark from sleep.

"Morning, my love", he pressed a sloppy kiss onto the others chapped lips.

"You have to leave today, don't you?"

Roman felt his heart sink: "Yes, I do."

Virgil kissed his cheek as if to kiss away the sadness.

A soft groan and shuffling made the two men perk up.

"Mh... Morning", Patton mumbled and tried to get a few stray locks out of his mouth.

"Good morning, class", Logan responded without waking up properly.

"Lolo, you're not at school", Patton giggled.

"Huh?", the man turned, spotted his lovers and realized his mistake. "Oh."

Roman chuckled softly.

"Do you have to go soon?", Virgil asked pressing a peck onto Roman's neck.  
He wrapped his arms around Roman's chest and rubbed his nose into his lover's hair.

"Yes, I'm afraid I do. I have to be at the castle by before sundown," he sighed. "I wish I could stay."

Patton pressed his soft full lips onto his forehead.

They spent another few minutes in bed, showering each other in soft kisses and whispers.

Logan, who had to leave early as well for his job at the local school, helped Roman pack the remaining clothes while Patton and Virgil made breakfast making sure to pack some food for the day-long journey.

As many perks being a royal knight had it also had its downsides Roman mused.  
He couldn't see his lovers nearly as often as he wished he could and every time he left he couldn't help but wonder if he'd make it back alive.  
He had established himself as a competent fighter which on one hand made it more likely for him to get permission to go home for a few days or - if he was lucky - even a week, but on the other hand, it meant that he was sent to more dangerous areas.

The king had been hunting dragons for years. They were dangerous beasts, hunting down humans and their animals alike and burning down settlements, fields and forests.

The problem had only become worse when the rebels had appeared.

They rode on dragons and fought against the knight with not nearly as much training but a goddamn dragon, fury and - as some believed - inhuman strength, speed and agility.

Roman had only encountered Dragonriders once and had no intention of reliving the experience.

There was something terrifying about a fighter who knows neither rules nor mercy.  
Or one who was too desperate to regard them.  
Sometimes the difference was hard to tell.

They ate, Virgil checked over his bags twice more "just to make sure" until it was time to say goodbye.  
Far too early in Romans opinion.

"Make sure to write as often as possible," Patton hugged him tightly initiating a group hug. "And try to stay out of trouble."

"Of course, I always do", Roman answered.

Virgil scoffed at that, the man's hold tightening: "I wish you would, Mr It's-just-a-flesh-wound-I-can-go-on. I'd be able to sleep a lot better at night."

"The cut wasn't that bad!", Roman protested.  
"Besides, you have to take care of yourselves too."

"I assure you that we are perfectly capable of doing so. Also, I fail to see what could possibly happen to us. Some students pulling pranks is likely the worst thing we might encounter and those frankly aren't a threat," Logan added with a smile. 

"Who knows", Roman said cocking his head to the side. "I'd say Virge and I were pretty scary when we were kids."

He pulled out of the group hug and sat up onto the dark stallion that was beginning to become more and more impatient.

"Don't worry. I'll be back in no time!"

He waved over his shoulder until he reached the bridge and crossed over the small stream cutting their house off from the rest of the village.

The first people were heading out for work and some children for school. He greeted them and most shot back 'Goodbye's and a few 'Good luck's.

He passed the last few houses and was now on an old path between corn and wheat. 

It was an familiar journey.  
Follow this path into the forest, turn right at the crossroad with the old dead tree, follow the Nomads road through the hills, left at the church of Terrui and from there on just follow the road until you reach the capital.

Simple enough if you were lucky enough not to encounter bandits or - worse - dragons.

Today it seemed that luck was on his side. 

For a while he was on the same path as a small group of nuns travelling towards a holy place and made conversation with them. They were friendly and nice travel companions and wished him a safe trip when their ways parted.  
He returned the sentiment and then he was alone again.

He already missed his lovers. 

Patton, with his softness and warmth and smell of honey and sweets and a heart of pure kindness.

Logan, who was so incredibly smart and much more quiet and subtle but still so full of love.

And Virgil, who could murder with sharp words alone but cared about them with every fibre of his being.

God, he loved them.

He couldn't wait to see them again.

The sky was just beginning to turn pink when Roman reached his destination.  
The royal palace towered over the city of Cijan with its towers and high wall.  
A symbol of power and wealth.

There were still a lot of people on the streets and children playing as Roman rode past them. They parted for him, recognising the royal emblem on his chest.

The bridge into the castle was still down and the guards greeted him, he couldn't remember their names but he had seen them often enough.

He brought his horse into the stables, gave it over to a young boy working there and headed towards the main building to report that he was back before returning to the servant quarters, where he would sleep for the time he was here.

It was cool and the blankets were thin, so different from the warm and soft bed he had spent the night before in.  
With a sigh, he laid down.  
It was quiet now but he knew that it would become loud once everyone came back from dinner.  
He fell asleep just moments before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the dragon hunt begin!
> 
> Where do you think this is going? Any bets?
> 
> It might take a while for me to continue this story (we'll see). Let me know if you like it!
> 
> Don't let the dragons eat you!


	2. I'll stay save

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It'll take a while to be continued", he said but, oh, they were a filthy liar.

Roman was back on horseback before noon the next day.  
Together with a group of knights and a few soldiers riding through a forest.

They were headed for a town not far from Cijan where the citizens had found a dragon egg.  
It was their job to destroy it before the rebels found out and took the egg with them.

Roman let his gaze wander over the rest of the group.  
He knew all of these men, had fought alongside most of them except for a young man at the end of the group.  
He slowed his horse a bit until he was next to the boy.

"First hunt?", he asked. The man was holding the reins just a bit too tight and his forehead shimmered with a thin layer of sweat.

"Yes, sir," he answered shortly.

"What's your name?"

"Juleek of Zilen, sir."

"Like Iona of Zilen?"

"Yes, sir, she's my mother."

Roman nodded. The boy had a certain similarity to his mother. The same long nose, the same small, almond coloured eyes.

"Well, if you're anything like her, you're gonna be just fine. Besides if we're lucky the egg's dead before the riders even know it ever existed."

Juleek gave him a nervous smile.

"If you think so, sir."

Roman smiled back at him. He could still remember his own first hunt. He had been terrified back then.

A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Virgil told him that it was better to be scared and careful than cocky and dead. 

And Roman knew better than to underestimate dragons and dragon riders. 

They reached the town and the mayor, a short man who reminded Roman of a fly with the way he couldn't seem to stand still, lead them towards the town hall in the middle of the market place.

"We put it here but it moved earlier and we didn't want to risk anything and-", he rambled nervously.

"That's perfectly fine," Terf, who had led the group interrupted him. "Roman, Duven and you, boy" he pointed at Juleek" come with me. The rest of you stay here. Keep an eye out for anything that's flying and bigger than a hawk or that's wearing leather armour."

He dismounted from the horse and marched towards the doors of the building knowing that his orders would be followed.

Roman gave Juleek another reassuring smile.

Inside of the building it was dark and the air was warm and thick, like walking against a brick wall after a hot summer day of relentless sunshine.

In the middle of the room laid the egg.

It was as big as a baby goat, green with a few brown spots like a child's knees after playing in a field.

Roman pulled his sword. He, Duven and Juleek stood at the ready while Terf got closer.

Something hit against the shell from the inside creating small crack.

Roman tensed.

Terf held his sword over the egg, ready to impale it and kill the beast inside.

Someone outside screamed.

"THEY'RE HERE! THE RIDERS ARE HERE!"

Roman whipped around.

"Go and help the others!", Terf barked at them.

Roman pushed the door open and stumbled outside.

A beam of fire cut the market place in two, shot by a giant, dark red creature standing on one of the buildings.  
On it's back sat a figure clad in an armour that was a patchwork of leather and dragon scales.

Another dragon, smaller and dark grey was in the air, it's tail full of spikes flicking and sending a few poisonous darts towards the door where Roman stood.

He barely dodged.

A big Firebreather and a Stinger.

Dammit.

The Stinger's rider jumped down, landing in a crouch and quickly took out two soldiers who tried to attack him. Roman realized that his two knives were made of Stinger spikes. In other words - they were poisonous.

"Don't get cut!", he yelled towards the others and moved to dodge another fire beam.

It set the door aflame and the Firebreather jumped off the building landing on the market place its rider slipping off and darting towards the building.  
Juleek moved into his way, using his body as a barrier and swung his sword at the rider's legs.

He couldn't dodge the lava ball that came from the side, seemingly out of nowhere.  
It hit him directly in the head.

"NO!", Roman heared himself scream.

He wanted to run over, stop the rider and attack the Magmawing that had appeared over the rooftops but the Stinger rider rammed into him, knocking him over and landing on top of him only to immediately scramble off.

Roman gasped to get the air that had been knocked out of him back into his lungs. His head was pounding. He rolled over. His sword had been knocked out of his hands.  
He reached out for it and got back on his feet.

Lying on the ground made him too easy a target.

The Firebreather rider was nowhere to be seen, the other soldiers were fighting against his dragon and the Stinger. The man who had knocked Roman down was back on the dragon.  
The Magmawing was flying over the place keeping an eye on the fight.

Roman ran towards the town hall.

The door was still burning but he ran through the flames, bringing up his arms to protect his face.

Terf shoved the rider against a wall and stumbled back over to the egg.  
The cracks in its shell are too big now. A few more hits and it would break.

The rider grabbed something from one of his pockets and threw it, the small orb landing on the floor at Terf's feet.  
Smoke leaked out, thick and green.

Terf cursed loudly, stumbled and coughed. Roman rushed over and hit the rider at the temple.  
The man went down.  
Lucky hit.

Terf was visibly struggling to breathe past his coughs: "Ro...Egg...NOW!"

Roman held his breath and tried to find the damn thing.

Something cracked underneath his boot.

He looked down.

The egg was empty.

The damn beast had hatched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry.
> 
> This was my first fight scene like... ever.  
> I hope it's decent at least.
> 
> Feel free to comment or ask questions!
> 
> Have a nice day!


	3. I'll fight them off

Patton would be upset that he hadn't stayed safe.

The green fog slowly began to fade, but Roman didn't dare to move.

There was a dragon in here with him. He had no idea which species.  
Sure, it was just a baby but even young dragons could cause fatal injuries if you weren't lucky.

And luck didn't seem to be with him today.

He heard a growling to his left, at the same level as his head.  
The damn thing could either fly already or climb.

To his feet the dragon rider began to stir.

Another growl above his head.

Then suddenly the rider moved, grabbing a whistle attached to his armour and blowing into it.

A sharp high-pitched note ripped through the air and Roman moved to cover his ears out of reflex. 

The door burst open and the Stinger crashed into the ground just metres from the knight.  
Roman stumbled backwards.

The man on the Stinger pulled the other rider onto the dragon and slipped off in one fluid motion.

The Stinger turned and flew out onto the market place again.

Roman focused on the man in front of him.

Hopefully the others could take care of the Stinger.  
His job right now was to keep Terf alive and kill the dragon baby - preferably without dying himself.

The rider was holding only one of his knives, his other hand was digging through his pocket.  
His stance was tense and despite being unable to see his face Roman knew that the man was watching him too.

He was fully prepared for the rider to pull out one of those smoke bombs or a weapon.

Instead he pulled out a small bundle of herbs and held them out to the side.

Roman tried not to show his confusion at the action.

A cooing came from above and a small green dragon jumped down onto the man's arm that gave in slightly under the weight.  
The dragon baby crawled towards the rider's hand and sniffed at the herbs.  
Another delighted noise and it carefully pulled at the herbs and chewed on them.

Roman couldn't help but stare.

How could something that would inevitably grow up to be a monster be this... gentle?

Almost even cute?

It was still chewing on the last few leaves when it began to climb in the other direction, towards the rider's head. It jumped up with a flap of its wings and scratched a little at the leather of the man's helmet. Another cooing noise left its beak-like mouth.

The rider hummed.

The dragon seemed delighted at the response.

It reminded Roman of a human baby babbling and their parents answering.  
It took him a moment to realise that that was exactly what the rider was doing.

He should have ended it.

Should have killed the rider and the dragon then and there, while both were distracted.

But he didn't.

He just watched. 

He let the man go.

Let him run out of the building with the dragon on his shoulder.

For a moment all he could do was stand there and stare at the door, watch the flames slowly die.  
What was left of the heavy wood was deep black.

Dragons were supposed to be monsters. One of them had killed a teenager today.  
Why had the baby been like that?  
He had heard of people getting their hands, fingers, toes and ears bitten off by freshly hatched dragons but never had he heard of flappy, still useless wings and coos.  
His mind wandered to newborn deer, with their too-long legs, trying to find their balance.

A cough made Roman jump. 

Terf was slowly regaining consciousness.

Roman kneeled down beside him: "Are you alright?"

"Fine," the other man groaned and sat up slowly. "What happened? Where's the egg?"

Roman was about to answer when he realised that he couldn't. At least not the truth. So instead he bent the truth into something that wouldn't cost him his title and job.

"It hatched before I could get to it," he began. "One of the riders grabbed it and got the one you fought out. It happened too fast, I couldn't stop them. I'm sorry."

Terf shook his head.

"It's fine. You did what you could. Are you hurt?"

Roman shook his head and helped Terf get to his feet.

"A few bruises maybe but otherwise I was lucky."

The two men stumbled out onto the market place.  
The sun blinded Roman and he had to blink a few times before he could see anything.

"How many dead?" Terf asked loudly.

"Two of our soldiers and the new kid," Duven reported. "No critical injuries. Mostly small burns and cuts."

"From the Stinger?"

"Its rider."

Roman perked up at that.

"He was using Stinger thorns as blades," he recalled.

The colour drained from Duven's face.

"Dammit," Terf cursed. "We need to get the injured back to the castle as fast as possible before the poison starts kicking in!"

Quietly he gritted out: "Let's hope it's not the bad kind of Stinger."

Roman pulled himself into the saddle and tried to get a picture of how many people had been cut. 

If they were lucky the blades were made of the thorns of a Stinger with knockout poison. In those cases, they'd only be asleep for a few days.  
Torture poison would cause extreme pain for about a day and the deadly Stingers were know for causing a slow and painful death.

He could see four people with slashes in different places.

Four potentially dead men.

The ride back to Cijan was hurried and too fast for the horses but they couldn't afford to take that into consideration at the moment.

Patton wouldn't like that either. And Logan would add that it was irresponsible.

Roman tried to force the thoughts of his lovers out but only ended up adding fuel to the flame.  
He missed them.

Back at the castle the Injured were brought in and Terf took Roman with him to report their failure to the king.

The man sat in his throne and listened closely as Terf reported up until the point where he had passed out and Roman repeated his lie.  
He dismissed them with anger in his voice but didn't yell.

Roman wasn't sure if that was better or worse.


	4. I'll do what's right

They didn't let him know if the knights and soldiers had survived.  
Instead, he was granted leave for a few days and told to go home.

And while he wanted to know what had happened if the mission had cost them any more sacrifices, the thought of seeing his lovers was too tempting to risk the king changing his mind last minute.

He tried to leave it behind, the blood, the dead boy, the dragons, but the baby was still haunting his thoughts.

What if they weren't born as monsters?  
What if they were simply raised to become monsters?  
Was that what the riders did?  
Where they the real monsters - the true villains?  
But dragons had already been a problem before, hadn't they?

Not nearly as bad, though. 

What if the riders really trained the dragons to become more aggressive?  
How could they be stopped?

He didn't manage to shake off the thoughts until the sun stood low and he arrived at the village.

Familiar faces greeted him, a few asking why he was back so soon but he didn't stop to explain.  
He wanted to go home.

The house on at the end of the village.

He brought his horse into the small stables. Someone had repainted the front door in his absence. The chapped dark brown paint had been replaced by a smooth green.  
Roman couldn't help but smile.  
It was a good choice of colour.

The house itself was empty.

Roman wandered from room to room until he found a note on the kitchen table.

'Vi and I went to the market. Will be back soon!'

Patton's curvy handwriting read.

The note was undoubtedly meant for Logan who sometimes had to stay at school till evening.

Roman set the note down.  
He had left most of his stuff at the castle since he'd have to return in just a few days, so now he didn't really have anything to unpack.  
With nothing better to do, he pulled on his coat and headed towards the small local school.  
If he was correct Logan should come home soon and he wanted to see the other as soon as possible.

There were a few children on the playground by the school building playing catch or marble games and most of them barely glanced at Roman.

The school door opened and out came the principal, who had already had the position when Roman had been a child, and... Logan.

A besotted smile spread over Roman's face.

Logan was engaged in a conversation, obviously passionate about the topic and Roman could see his eyes sparkled even from the distance.  
His dark hair was slightly tussled with a few strands hanging in his face and his shirt sleeves were pushed up to his elbows.

The principal, Mr Oppus, noticed Roman first.

"I believe we should finish this another time," he announced.

A look of confusion crossed over Logan's face. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"Roman?"

The two crashed into each other, both holding on like to a lifeline.

"You're home," Logan whispered against Roman's neck. "Why are you home already?"

He pulled back ever so slightly.

"Are you hurt? Did something bad happened?"

"I'm fine," Roman pulled him close again. "Especially now that I got you with me again."

He couldn't see it but he knew that a crimson blush was spreading over Logan's beautiful face.

"I'm serious," he mumbled.

"So am I," Roman responded and pressed a kiss onto Logan's cheek. "I'm fine."

A nearby gagging sound made both of them look up.  
A few of the children were giggling.

"Perhaps kissing here wasn't the best idea," Logan said. "Let's go home, my love."  
Logan let his hand slip into Roman's.

They walked side by side, holding on to each other and Roman couldn't care less that it had been barely two days since they had last seen each other.  
He had missed Logan.

The house was still empty when they arrived.

Roman showed Logan the note, they spent some time curled up together on the bed and decided to prepare dinner for when Patton and Virgil come home.

Logan filled Roman in on the last two days, told him about how Smith's goat finally had her baby, Patton had painted the door and Virgil had found yet another cat that tried to follow him home.

He didn't ask about the hunts.

It was like an unspoken rule that none of them ever asked Roman. If he decided he wanted to tell them they listened but they never pressured.  
It was something Roman was very thankful for.

The sound of wheels on the bridge caught his attention and after setting down the plates he had been holding Roman stepped out onto the porch with Logan right behind him.

"Good evening!" 

Patton's golden locks shone in the evening sun and his skin was painted in a light warm brown. His blue eyes widened when he spotted Roman shimmering like faraway galaxies with thousands of stars and incredible worlds.

Virgil looked just as beautiful, if so much darker than Patton, with his ebony hair hanging in his face and his dark tanned skin being kissed by sunlight in the way it can only happen on warm summer days when the sky is turning all shades of yellow, orange, pink and blue.

Patton let go of the wooden cart the two had pulled first, closing the distance in a short run and tackling Roman with a hug.

"You're home!", he yelled.

Just a split second Virgil collided with them and Logan joined the hug.

Roman took a deep breath of the familiar and warm scents of his lovers mixing together.

"I'm home," he whispered and the last bit of tension left his shoulder.

Roman had no idea how long they stood there like this but when he pulled back the sun had disappeared behind the horizon leaving behind some of the colours it had painted into the sky and a cool breeze made Patton shiver.

"Maybe we should go inside," Logan voiced what all four were thinking. "It's late."

Roman helped Virgil with the cart that had been filled with honey, fabric, a small container of salt and a bunch of other things.

Meanwhile Logan and Patton finished preparing dinner.

The smell of cabbages filled the kitchen and living room and Roman realised how hungry he was.

They ate and Roman decided to talk about the hunt he had been on.  
He left out that he had let the rider go. That he was doubting if hunting down dragons like that was right.  
He stuck to the lie.

He hated lying to his partners.

But this was for the best.

He didn't want them to worry for him or that he might lose his job.

They listened as he spoke and only when he finished with how he had been sent home for a few days Patton said something.

"I'm just glad you're alright," he let his hand slip into Roman's and squeezed it.

Roman smiled back at him.

God, he hated lying to them.

So, so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> Jeez, this was some fluffy Fluff.  
> I love the boyfriend squad.  
> And Ro's dealing with a little guilt now.
> 
> Comments and questions are highly appreciated! Please leave some!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


	5. I'll always return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Reference to past self harm/suicidal behaviour.  
> Stay safe.

At first Roman had no idea what had woken him up.  
It was still dark in the bedroom and he was pressed against Patton's back with one arm draped over the shorter man and holding Logan's hand.

Behind Logan was an empty spot and Roman felt a slight breeze on his back coming from the door.

Careful not to wake either Logan or Patton he slipped out of the bed and tugged the blanket around them.

Then he followed the breeze.

The door leading outside was open ever so slightly and Roman spotted Virgil sitting on the railing of the porch.

"Beloved?" he whispered into the night.

Virgil jumped and spun around to face him only to immediately relax when he recognised Roman.

"God, you scared me," he mumbled.

Roman stepped closer, resting his arms on the railing next to Virgil.

"Why are you out here at this time?" he asked looking up at the half moon hanging over them in the night sky.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Roman raised an eyebrow.

"I came out here looking for you."

"Oh."

For a moment silence wrapped around them like a blanket. Thin, easy to tear to shreds, yet somehow heavy.

"Are you alright?" Roman finally asked.

Virgil sighed deeply and it rattled through his thin chest.

"Yeah, just... couldn't really sleep."

"Why not?"

"Just... Thinking."

"About what?"

Roman studied his lover's face in the silver light. Virgil looked tired again, in the way he did when he hadn't slept for days kept awake by his own mind and troubling thoughts.

"You, mostly."

Roman's eyes widened.

"And the dragon hunters."

Virgil bit his lip. Roman laid his hand onto Virgil's smaller one.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Nothing, absolutely nothing could ever stop me from returning to you."

"But-"

Roman shook his head effectively cutting Virgil off.

"I mean it, Virgil. I would fight off every dragon in existence, their riders and even the royal guard if they tried to keep me from seeing you again. I'll always come back. Always. Because I love you," he pulled Virgil hand up and pressed his lips on the warm skin. "And I always will."

"No matter what?" Virgil asked and he sounded desperate in a way that made Roman's heart ache.

"Of course."

Virgil wrapped his arms around him and buried his face against Roman's neck.  
Roman picked him up almost effortlessly and carried him back inside bridal style closing the door behind them with his foot.

At the crook of his neck he could feel something wet and Virgil shook in his arms.

Carefully he set Virgil down on the sofa and laid down next to him in order to wrap his arms tightly around the other.

"It's alright... I'm here... I got you..." he whispered. 

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened even though part of Roman wished it was.  
Wished that Virgil didn't have a tendency to get lost on a downward spiral of toxic thoughts until he either broke down crying or physically couldn't move for a few days.

There was also a third option, one that Roman didn't want to think about.  
He guessed they were lucky in a way that it had only happened once.  
But he still kept his sword and knives hidden whenever he was home and Virgil still hadn't worn short sleeves again so maybe luck would have been for it to never happen.

"I'm sorry," Virgil chocked out between muffled sobs.

"Don't apologize," Roman whispered and pushed a few strands of dark hair out of Virgil's face. "It's alright."

"I'm so sorry."

\---

Roman woke up again to sunlight filtering through the curtains.  
Virgil was still tugged to his chest but he looked at peace now.

"Good morning," Patton's soft voice made Roman lookup.

"Morning, sunshine," he mumbled and Patton blushed at the nickname the same way he always had, from when Roman had first called him by it years ago to this day.

He untangled himself from Virgil deciding to let the other sleep for a bit longer.  
Patton wrapped his arms around Roman and pressed a kiss onto his lips.

"Lo had to head out already but I haven't eaten yet," Patton told him. "Wanna join me?"

"Of course," he smiled and kissed Patton again.

They set the table quietly.

"Why were you sleeping on the sofa?" Patton asked after a while. He most likely already knew but Roman still answered.

"Virge couldn't sleep."

"Did he tell you why?" Patton glanced over Roman's shoulder to where Virgil was still sleeping.

"Yes. He was worried about me," Roman couldn't help but feel guilty as he said it.  
He knew that it wasn't really his fault but he still wished Virgil wouldn't have to worry like that. "We talked a bit and eventually he fell asleep. I didn't want to risk waking him up again so I didn't carry him to bed again."

Patton nodded in acknowledgement and took another bite of his bread.

"I wanted to repair the roof today. It broke again just after you left. Maybe you could help me?", he asked then.

"Sure, I will. Maybe we manage to fix it in a way that it doesn't break within a week again. What do you guys even do when I'm not around? Do you climb up there and hit it with a hammer until it caves? Or has this house been cursed to always have at least one hole in the roof?"

Patton laughed at that and it rung like church bells, clear and melodic.

"I hope it's not," he giggled and Roman could have melted at how beautiful Patton looked at that moment.

Virgil stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later and plopped down on the chair next to Roman. His hair stood up in all directions and his eyes were only half-open.

"Good morning, storm cloud," Roman greeted him and handed him the milk.

Virgil took it mumbling something that could vaguely be interpreted as 'Good morning'.

"Roman and I are going to repair the roof today," Patton said. "Do you want to help us?"

"Can't," Virgil muttered. "Madam Gorinal asked me to help her with the newborn foal. According to her, I'm the only person round here capable of taking care of it and she'd rather burn down her stables that trust someone else with it."

Roman laughed.

"That sounds like her," Patton mused with a grin.

"I'm pretty sure she meant it so I promised to come by today," Virgil bit into a spice of bread. "It'd be a shame if she had to commit arson at her age. Prison's hard for someone that old."

"Good to know that you got your priorities straight," Roman said with sarcasm dripping from his words like honey.

"Nothing about me is straight and you know it," Virgil fired back.

They continued to bicker for the rest of breakfast and while putting away the dishes and the food up until Virgil had to leave.  
It was all friendly not like the fights they had used to have when they had been younger. Roman was just glad that Virgil seemed a lot happier today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this is angsty.  
> Sorry not sorry.
> 
> Tell me your thoughts in the comments! And how do you think the story will go on? I'd love to know!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


	6. I'll stay with you

Roman and Patton got the ladder out of the stable and leaned it against the house, making sure that it stood securely.

"Is it bad that this is starting to become routine?" Roman asked jokingly as he began climbing up.

"Probably," Patton giggled in return.

Up on the roof the wind was slightly stronger and Roman had to push a few strands of hair out of his face.

From here he had the perfect view over the valley. Green fields with a few people working on them, old houses that he had known all his life and the two roads leading away from the village.  
The sun shone, warmed his skin comfortably and a contend smile spread over his face.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Patton stood up next to him and let his hand slip into Roman's.

"Yeah, it is."

Patton leaned his head against Roman's shoulder and for a while they just stood there, looking out over their home, content with the world and each other.

A cloud moved in front of the sun casting a shadow over them and Roman looked up.

"How about we get that roof done?" he suggested and pressed a kiss into Patton's hair.

"Hm, fine," the other hummed and pulled back from the embrace. "The damage is over there. I'll show you."

Roman followed Patton over to where two uneven holes decorated the roof.  
They weren't very big and about a meter apart.

"It's better than last time," Roman noted inspecting the holes. "We should be able to fix this in just a few hours."

Patton nodded eagerly and they got to work.

\---

After they had fixed the roof Patton began working on a pie. Roman helped out a bit by washing and cutting the apples before he left.  
He wasn't good at baking and it would be a shame to ruin Patton's wonderful apple pie.

So instead he sauntered through the village towards Madam Gorinal's farm.  
He didn't want to disturb Logan at school and even if the old Madam had threatened to commit arson if someone other than Virgil took care of her foal he doubted she would object if he helped out a little bit.

The stables were painted in a nice dark brown with thin lighter stripes around the doors, windows and by the corners.

Roman careful pushed one of the doors open and was met with an excited goose running at him. He quickly closed the door behind himself so that it wouldn't get out.

"Theodore! Get your feathery ass back here!" Madam Gorinal's voice cut through the air and the goose - Theodore - turned and headed back to where it came from.

Madam Gorinal didn't look like a farmer. She looked like one of those fortune tellers that travel with nomads and give cryptic prophecies. She sometimes told the children that she had used to be one but Roman was pretty sure that that wasn't true.

"Roman! Good to see you again, kid!" she spread her arms and Roman had to bend down to hug her. Somehow she managed to smell like roses even after working in the stables since morning. "Your boyfriend is trying to convince Bisky to stand up again."

"Is Bisky the new foal?" Roman asked as he was ushered to the back of the building.

"She's going to be a lady someday," Madam Gorinal told him proudly. "I can tell."

Roman chuckled at that.

They reached the small area reserved for newborn animals and their mothers.

Apane was munching on some of the hay lying around.  
Bisky had her mother's light fur with a dark splotch on her back.  
She laid in the straw watching Virgil who had lied down next to her and was quietly speaking with the foal.

A fond smile spread over Roman's face.

"Look, I know that getting up sucks but you're gonna have to eventually," Virgil sounded like he was having a serious discussion.

"Oi, don't swear in front of her!" Madam Gorinal complained.

"You said you wanted my help so I'm helping you. If you don't like my methods that's your problem," Virgil shot back. "Oh, hi, Roman! Did you guys fix the roof already?"

"Your roof was broken again?" Madam Gorinal asked and shook her head. "Kids these days."

"It wasn't that bad this time," Roman tried to defend. "We got it done in just a few hours."

"That doesn't make it better that you break it like every two weeks," she shot him a disapproving look. "Do you even know how it happens?"

Roman missed the way Virgil froze at the question.

"No, no idea," he admitted. 

Madam Gorinal frowned at him before turning and heading towards the exit.

"I'm gonna get myself some lunch done," she muttered.

Roman watched her leave.

"She's being weird today. I mean, weirder than usually," he noted.

"Yeah, kinda," Virgil agreed half-heartedly. "Now get up you little shit."

He gave the foal a gentle push.  
Surprisingly it gave in this time and staggered a bit on its too long legs.

Virgil let out a small cheer.

"Wow, you really have a way with animals. It's incredible," Roman said sarcastically but he couldn't keep a smile on his face.

Virgil sat up and a few pieces of straw stayed tangled in his hair.

"You're just jealous because you can't even get your own horse to listen to you after three years," he claimed.

Roman gasped theatrically and pressed a hand to his chest.

"I'll have you know that Maximus listens perfectly well. I admit that he might have been a bit stubborn in the past but he hasn't disobeyed me in..." Roman stopped, racking his brain for how long it had been,"...two months..."

Virgil burst out laughing and fell back into the straw.

"Oh, yes, my mistake! Two whole months! What a well mannered, obedient creature you have there!"

Roman pouted at him.

"Fine, I'll just go see Logan," he then announced. "At least he appreciates me and my skills."

"He called you an idiot just last week," Virgil grinned.

"Hush, foul villain! I shall no longer listen to you!" Roman fought a smile. 

This was familiar. This was easy. A game they had been playing for years. Trading playful insults and teasing.

"By the way, Patton's making an apple pie," Roman called over his shoulder as he turned towards the exit again.

Behind him he could hear Virgil cheer.

Roman left the barn behind and headed towards the school.  
If he wasn't completely wrong the lunch break should begin soon and he wanted to take the opportunity to see Logan, just as he had told Virgil.

Just as he arrived at the school grounds the door of the building burst open and children came out scattering over the playground.

Some greeted Roman as he made his way towards the school building, all of them calling him "other Mr Daniels" despite the fact that Roman had told them a thousand times that he and Logan were not married and therefore didn't have the same last name.  
As much as he would have liked that.

Inside of the school building the light was a lot dimmer than outside and Roman had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted.  
There were a few new drawings on display on the walls than the last time he had visited otherwise the place was almost the same as when he himself had gone to school here.

Funny how time worked like that. Some things changed in the blink of an eye, some slowly, so slowly that you only noticed way later when it's already completely different and you're left to wonder how you missed the change before. And some places didn't seem to change at all, frozen in time, never changing, no matter how many winters passed and how many lives came and went.

Roman still knew where to find Logan in the breaks. When they had been kids it had been the library, now it was his classroom.

"Hello, Beloved," Roman greeted as he entered the room.

Logan sat at the teacher's desk - his desk - with a book open in front of him. He looked up in surprise and a small smile grazed his lips as he recognised Roman.

"Hello, Roman. What are you doing here?" he put a piece of paper into the book and closed it.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm visiting my dear partner, who I see way too little," Roman made his way through the classroom past empty desks covered with letters and drawings.  
In one of these tables, he had scratched his initials in fifth grade.

Logan let out an amused breath and stood up to press a small kiss on Roman's cheek.

"You've been bickering with Virgil again, haven't you?"

Roman raised an eyebrow at that.

"Have you learned how to read minds while I was gone? Wait - scratch that - you always could, couldn't you? I'm onto you, psychic."

Logan rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"You usually act this theatrically after one of your play fights. I don't need to read your mind to know that."

"But you're not denying that you can," Roman wrapped his arms around Logan. "You're not denying that you're a psychic."

"You're being ridiculous," Logan told him.

"See, I'm not denying that either," Roman grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off: Sorry that I was gone for so long! I'm really sorry but I don't really have an excuse for it. I simply didn't manage to get this done sooner. I hope the fluff makes up for it.  
> Second: Quarantine sucks, amirite?
> 
> I'm always happy about comments, reviews or really any thoughts about my works!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


	7. I'll miss you in the rainy nights

Three days.

Three days Roman got to spend with his boyfriends and he made sure to enjoy every second of it.

On the fourth day he was back on the road to Cijan.  
The sky was dark and grey and the wind tasted of storm.  
It was going to rain soon - most likely an entire thunderstorm.

Roman hoped that the weather would hold until he reached Cijan and it did - for about five hours.

Then the first ice-cold raindrops fell and he dug his calves into the horse's stomach.  
He wanted to find shelter before it really came down.  
There should be an inn somewhere close by.

The rain got stronger and within minutes Roman was completely soaked.  
Wet hair hung into his eyes and he had to squint and slow down to avoid landing in the ditch. 

In the distance he spotted a dim light and headed towards it.

The light slowly got closer and he could make out the shape of a building.

"Almost there," he tried to tell his horse but the wind stole the words from his lips and carried them far, far away until they were drowned out by it's howling and a deep firey breath.

Roman tightened his grip on the reins slightly.

"Please be the inn," he whispered to himself as he began to shiver.

He couldn't make out the sign until he stood right in front of it. It was one of those inns with a really obscure name, those you forget but remember as soon as you hear the name again or see it anywhere.

'To the broken horse neck'

Roman decided not to question it. All that mattered at the moment was that it was warm and dry and that he could wait out the rain here.

He brought Maximus into the stables and went back to the main building.

As he stepped inside, he was greeted by warmth, the smell of beer and cooked meat.  
The tavern was full of people, already drinking despite the fact that it was barely noon.

Roman made his way past the tables towards the bar.

"What can I do for you?" the barkeeper, a round woman with an impressive beard, asked him, her eyes lingering over the royal emblems on his chest.

"I'm just here to wait out the rain, don't worry," he responded. "I brought my horse into your stables, I hope that's alright?"

She nodded. "We welcome anyone, at any time, for any reason. But do keep in mind; no fights. You pick a fight, you get kicked out. Don't care who with."

Roman chuckled. "Even if a dragon rider were to walk in here?"

He had meant it as a joke but the barkeeper's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No fights. We welcome _anyone_."

"Anyone!" a young boy sitting on the counter echoed.

"Alright, I get it," Roman brought up his hands in surrender. He didn't understand why they thought this way but he doubted a rider would even show up and didn't feel like going out again. "Do you have something warm to eat, by chance?"

Roman took a seat at an empty table by the window and tried a spoon of the stew the barkeeper had given him.  
It wasn't anything special but a least warm enough that he almost burned his tongue.

He stared out into the rain.

Strong winds pushed and pulled at the trees and he could hardly see the light from the stables. It didn't look like it would get better anytime soon.

A figure appeared out of the darkness, headed for the door. Maybe Roman had appeared just like that to someone looking out of the window earlier.

The door opened and Roan nearly choked on his stew.

The person was wearing armour, that was a patchwork of leather and blue scales. Their helmet covered their face but was unique in its markings, the same way all rider helmets were unique.

Roman didn't recall seeing this one before. He tried to commit it to memory. 

The rider was tall but not particularly muscular and as far as Roman could tell they weren't carrying any weapons.

They walked up to the bar, exchanged a few words with the barkeeper and she handed them a beer.  
The rider didn't seem to be planning on staying at the bar and Roman quickly realised that he was sitting at the only free table.

He cursed his luck and pretended to be completely focused on his meal as the rider go closer.

They stopped when they reached the table, hesitating.

Roman looked up at them.

For a moment both of them just stared at each other, then the rider gave a curt nod and sat down across from him.

Roman kept watching them. They had a beer and were probably planning on drinking it and for that, they'd have to take off the helmet. Meaning Roman would get to see their face.

He wanted to know if they looked like people imagined, with scales and fangs and horns, or if they looked just like anyone else.

He wanted to know if they looked like the monsters he knew them to be.

The question of why they trained their dragons to kill people for them burned on his tongue. He wanted to interrogate them, why and how and who they even were and where they hid for all these years that knights had been looking for their base.

He kept quiet.

They reached up to their helmet and slowly pushed it up.

Roman's grip on his spoon tightened.

A chin full of dark stubble, a strong jawline, pale lips, the faint beginning of a moustache...

And then they didn't push it up further.  
The just drank their beer.

Roman almost screamed in frustration.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

They gestured to their beer and took another sip, before letting the helmet slip back down.

"You are fleeing from the rain as well, are you not?" they asked and their voice sounded like someone had collected birdcalls and mashed them together until they resembled human speech.  
It sent a shiver down Roman's spine.

"I am not planning on breaking any laws - or bones - if that is what you are worried about," they said, pushed up the helmet and downed the rest of their beer.

"Is this a joke to you?" Roman barely managed not to yell. "You burn down villages and kill people! Do you honestly think that's funny? Do you have any idea how many friends I lost to you bastards?"

"Do you have any idea how many _I_ lost to _you knights_?" they shot back. "Or is that something else?"

"Yes, because _you_ kill civilians!" he slammed his hand on the table.

They huffed and Roman had the feeling they wanted to say something else but thought better of it. They stood up and brought they empty tankard back to the bar.  
Roman angrily finished his soup.

The rain still showed no signs of stopping.

It reminded Roman of the fall last year when it had rained for weeks.  
Patton had baked warm bread and the four of them had squeezed on the couch. Roman had held Logan in his lap and Logan had read to them. Brought stories alive with his wonderful voice just for them to hear.  
Roman couldn't remember the exact words but he could still feel the desert sand, smell the sweat and blood and imagine the temples full of treasure when he closed his eyes.

Someone started loudly and very off-key to sing a song and pulled Roman out of his thoughts.

With nothing better to do he ended up moving his chair to another table to watch a group of people playing a game of cards. He couldn't tell which game they were playing (it looked like they were just using rules from a number of different games that they liked) but they were drunk and there was a lot of money on the line, so it was entertaining enough.

The rain would have to end sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! I am so sorry that I disappeared for so long. A bunch of stuff happened and I didn't get around to writing much but I'll try to update more frequently. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't let any dragons eat you!


	8. I'll come and fight for you

The rain lasted until late in the evening.  
When Roman finally stepped outside the air tasted fresh and on the now clear sky, the first stars appeared.  
Part of him wanted to just head back inside and spend the night at the inn but he had to be at the castle by morning so he made his way over to the stables to get Maximus.

The stallion seemed happy to see him.

Roman took a moment to take care of him, before putting the saddle back on and leading Maximus outside.

He noticed the dragon rider, standing by the door, but ignored him despite the stare he could feel on his back as he sat up.

"Where to, knight?" they called.

"Why do you care, rider?" Roman spat and pressed his calves into Maximus' stomach. If he was lucky and there were no incidents he might arrive at Cijan around midnight. 

"Just curious," the rider called back.

Roman didn't dignify it with an answer.  
Instead, he focused on the muddy road and tried to find landmarks in the distance. He didn't want to risk getting off-path in the middle of the night.

By the time he finally arrived at the castle the gates were already closed for the night. The thin crescent moon stood high in the sky and Roman was struggling to even keep his eyes open.

He slipped off of Maximus' back and let himself fall into the grass next to the gates. After just a few minutes he was fast asleep.

Roman was woken up by a hand, shaking his shoulder.  
He groaned and swatted it away, slowly opening his eyes.

A woman laughed. "Sorry, but I think the beds inside are a bit more comfortable. How about you move there, huh?"

It took Roman a moment to realise that she was wearing guards armour.

"The gates are open?" he asked and rubbed over his face in an attempt to wake up properly.

"Yep, just opened them," the guard confirmed.

"Oh," Roman said dumbly. With stiff limbs, he forced himself up. 

Maximum was still standing by, eating off one of the small bushes that grew by the walls. He protested when Roman pulled him off but eventually gave in and followed Roman inside towards the stables.

From there he went straight to the servant quarters, even though he wasn't expecting to get any more sleep.  
He just laid down in an empty bed and closed his eyes for a few hours.

The following days weren't very interesting. Training, training and if they managed just a little bit of training to pass the time.

There were scouts coming and going nearly constantly but none of their reports reached the knights.

There were rumours, of course, but Roman wasn't sure how credible they were. There were also rumours that he had a wife and children after all.

Some said that the riders were too quiet lately. That they were plotting something and the king was trying to find out what it was in time.

Others said that the king had some sort of hint where the base was and was trying to find it in order to then start an attack.

Roman wasn't sure how he felt about either of those.

The dragon baby was still haunting his dreams but so was the annoying rider in the inn.

He just hoped that as few people as possible would die because _something_ was about to happen, that much he could tell.  
Something big.

It was a Tuesday when they finally got news.

The king had his knights gather in a hall with a big desk. He sat at the end, behind him a map of the kingdom with a few markings on it.

The king waited until it was quiet before he stood up.

"For the past week my spies have been investigating a rumour that the riders are planning something big," he began, not bothering with formalities. "And they are. They are planning to attack about a dozen of villages and towns shortly after one another to make sure that by the time we get there they are already gone again. My men managed to find out some of the places they will target and from there there are a few places we can guess are also on the list."

Roman let his eyes scan the map. He noticed a few red marks around the cities by the mountains and a blue one around the tiny dot that was _home_ and he wanted to throw up.

"The plan is to be ready for them. To ruin their strategy. You'll be riding in groups and stop the attacks before they even begin."

The king kept talking but Roman was barely listening. 

Even if dragons weren't the monsters people made them out to be, the riders were.

It was too easy to imagine their house burned down to ashes. To imagine his lovers' bodies. He could almost taste the smoke.

Roman was shaken out of his thoughts by the meeting ending and suddenly everybody was moving.

He had listened enough to what the king had said to know that he wasn't part of the group responsible for the mountains but his heart wouldn't have it.

"Iona!" he stopped the knight by the stables. "You're commanding the mountain troop, right?"

"I am," she said with a raised eyebrow. "What is it to you?"

"I know the area. I know shortcuts from one place to another. Please take me with you!" he pleaded.

"Aren't you supposed to go towards the Killinan border?"

"I am, but believe me, I'd be more useful to you."

"You have a personal stake in this," Iona said and Roman flinched as if she had struck him.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

Roman understood now why people claimed she could see into people's souls.

"Fine. You can switch with Uneres," she sighed suddenly.

"Thank you so much," Roman smiled at her before hurrying off to talk to Uneres.

The kid that had died on his last mission had been Iona's son, he remembered. Maybe that was why she had let him come. Because she had just experienced the loss of a loved one.

They were one of the first troops to leave, headed towards one of the bigger cities for now and as much as Roman yearned to go home he also prayed that this operation wouldn't take them there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this sure took a while.  
> But were finally getting to the plot I mentioned in the description!
> 
> Please let me know what you think, I always appreciate comments!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


	9. I'll keep my promises to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some swearing ahead!

Iona send out groups of two to the smaller towns and villages to warn them that they might get attacked.  
And while Roman hoped to get a chance to see his loves and tell them himself she kept him by her side.

So instead he asked the knights that had gone in the direction what it had been like in the tiny nameless village at the bottom of the mountain.

"Those people were weird," Cabera frowned.

"Why that?" Iona asked, looking up from the map she had been studying.

"I don't think they took us seriously," Sabt said. "Some of the kids laughed and when we told them to be ready to flee they just said 'Sure, we will' but in a way that made it clear that they wouldn't."

Roman frowned. He couldn't imagine why anyone would react like that. They knew how serious dragon attacks were. At least his lovers had to know from what he had told them over the years.  
Surely they would convince everyone else to stay cautious. Or at least Roman hoped they would.  
Logan could be very convincing.

But once all the people were warned, all they could do was wait.

The tension in the camp was high and there was someone awake day and night, watching the sky for dragons.  
In some nights Roman stared into the sky and thought he saw something moving but then he blinked and all was still again.

After two days Iona send them out again and this time let Roman leave too. He guessed she was able to tell how antsy he was getting.

He and Cabera arrived in his home village when the sun stood high in the sky.

The streets were empty but the smell of fresh food filled the streets.

"This is where you grew up?" Cabera asked.

"Yeah, my family moved here when I was a little kid."

They hummed in acknowledgement.

"So, where do you live? Maybe we can get some lunch," they suggested after a short pause.

"We have a house at the end of this street. It's a bit extramural," Roman said and began to lead the way. "Are you sure we have the time, though?"

"Iona will use the coins if she needs us," they shrugged, "so I don't see the problem in getting something to eat."

Roman felt for the small enchanted coin in his pocket. It was still cold.  
And he did want to see his partners.

"Alright, let's do it."

They rode through the narrow streets until they reached the small stream and the old house behind it.

Roman tried to see if there was a hole in the roof again but as far as he could tell it was fine.

He slid out of the saddle and tied Maximus' to the porch railing.  
Cabera followed him up to the door and stayed behind him as he knocked twice.

"Why do you knock? Don't you live here too?" they asked.

"I want to surprise them," he just shrugged.

In that moment the door opened.

"What can-?" Patton stopped abruptly and his eyes widened. "Roman?"

"Hey, sweetheart," Roman couldn't help the grin that spread over his face.

Patton let out a small shout and tackled him in a tight hug.

"You're home!"

No matter how long he had been gone every time Roman came home they reacted like this. With ecstasy and hugs.  
It didn't take a genius like Logan to figure out why considering where he went.

"Can't stay for long today," Roman said as he squeezed Patton back."We're patrolling the villages to see if everything's alright."

He pressed a kiss onto Patton's forehead.

"Mhm... Because of that attack that might happen?" the shorter man asked and Roman noticed that his voice shook a little.

"Yeah, don't worry, though. They probably won't come here and even if, you just need to be ready to evacuate. If you flee into the mountains they won't be able to find you," he tried to soothe Patton's fears and kissed him on the cheek.

"You think so?" Patton frowned up at him.

"I'm sure of it," Roman replied.

A small smile returned to Patton's face even if Roman could tell that he was still worried.

"Patton? Who's at the door?" Logan's voice called from inside.

"It's Roman! And another knight!" Patton answered with his previous enthusiasm before turning back to them. "Are you staying for lunch? Lolo made pancakes and you must be hungry if you've been riding around all day!"

"We'd love to," Roman smiled. "This is Cabera, by the way. They're a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you!" Patton shook their hand. "Now come in before the food gets warm!"

He vanished into the kitchen, likely to set two more plates on the table.

"Gets warm?" Cabera asked.

Roman chuckled. "It's just an old joke he likes to make. Instead of 'before it gets cold'."

"Ah."

Roman lead them inside.

Logan stood by the stove, flipping a pancake as if it was the easiest thing in the world. He looked up when they entered and his eyes lit up.  
He quickly dropped the pancake on a pile but Roman reached him faster.

"Hey, Lo," he murmured and pulled him close.

"Hello Roman," Logan answered and Roman felt more than saw him smile. "It is good to see you again."

Roman hummed contently.

Somebody collided with his back a moment later.

"Hi Princy," Virgil's voice was muffled.

"Is it group hug time?" Patton gasped and didn't wait for an answer before joining.

Someone cleared their throat and Roman suddenly remembered that Cabera was there.

He pulled away again and sheepishly introduced them to Logan and Virgil.

"Eat should probably eat now, before you two have to leave again!" Patton clapped his hands together. "We have jam from Mr Crofters again!"

"He makes the best jam," Logan informed Cabera.

They sat down, a little crowded on the small table and Virgil took it upon himself to give out the first load of pancakes.

Even with Cabera there and the potential threat hanging over them, they stuck to the 'no work talk' rule. Though in this case, Roman wasn't sure if it was on purpose.  
Patton filled most of the silence with funny stories, both ones Roman already knew and ones that had happened while he had been gone.

Afterwards Roman and Cabera washed the dishes until Patton managed to take the towel from Roman. He had tried to get Cabera's first but they wouldn't give in.

So Roman wandered outside to go check on the horses.  
Just as he stepped outside he caught a whispered conversation by the stables. Slowly he crept closer.

"Yeah, no doubt," Virgil said bitterly. 

Logan swore under his breath.

Roman frowned. What were they talking about? Was something wrong?

He tried to glance around the corner but only caught sight of Logan's back.

"We should probably tell Patton later," Logan said. "At least if we get a chance."

"It doesn't hurt does it?"

Hurt? Was Logan sick or something? 

"No, it doesn't."

"Good. Let's go back inside then, before someone notices."

Roman heard their footsteps come closer and his heart rate picked up. He had the feeling that he hadn't been supposed to hear that.

Before they could round the corner he slipped back inside, leaving the door open behind himself to avoid accidentally slamming it in his hurry.

Something was wrong with this.

Patton and Cabera were just finishing up with the dishes and Logan and Virgil came in just a moment later.

"I guess we should get going again," Cabera said. "Thank you for the meal. It was delicious!"

"Oh, it was nothing!" Patton waved off. "Come again some time!"

Cabera chuckled and went outside, saying that they would ho get the horses. Roman appreciated it.

"So it's goodbye again," he smiled half-heartedly and opened his arms for a hug.

Sloppy kisses landed on his cheeks as he held his partners close.

"We'll miss you," Logan said quietly.

"I might not be gone for long," Roman responded.

"We always miss you, Princey. Doesn't matter how long you're gone," Virgil told him.

Roman chuckled slightly. "I'll miss you two."

They waved when Roman and Cabera rode back over the bridge and on their way through the village a few people greeted them friendly.

"You know, this place was a lot nicer this time," Cabera told him once they had left the last few houses behind. "A lot less weird and- Shit!"

"What's wrong?!" Roman stopped Maximus.

"My coin!" they pulled it out. It was glowing brightly. Iona had instructed them to only use the coins in emergency situations so...

"Fuck!" Roman rammed his calves into Maximus' stomach. 

"We need to get to the camp!" Cabera yelled over the wind.

The attacks had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, my hand slipped.
> 
> Please comment, I'm always happy about any comments I get!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


	10. I'll stop them from reaching you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood, Injury, Fear of death and near death!  
> Stay safe!

Hoves swirled up dust as knights left the camp in all directions.

"What's happening?" Cabera called to Iona as soon as they got close enough.

"You're back! Good! Riders have started an attack on Janhills and there are more headed to other towns!" Iona's usually perfect bun was slightly messy.

"Roman, I need you to get a troop to the village in the east as we quickly as possible! Are there any shortcuts?" He nodded and she continued. "Cabera, join the others in Janhill, that's the town in the south from here!"

She continued shouting orders as Roman already pulled himself back up into the saddle.

A group of others followed him out of the camp.

He could tell that Maximus was already starting to get exhausted.  
Maybe the riders' plan was already working better than they could allow.

On the normal road they would have needed about twenty minutes to the village Iona had meant because it curved around the hills and trees. If you knew the area well there were plenty of faster ways that also avoided having to climb hills.  
They only took ten minutes.

Three dragons were soaring over the rooftops of the village.

In a distance Roman could see people fleeing towards the mountains.  
They must've seen the dragons coming and left without the riders noticing.

Good, that way they wouldn't have to worry about getting them out.

Still they couldn't be sure that that was everyone.

"Look if you can find any villagers! Protect each other, if we work together we have a better chance to get out of here in one piece!" he called over his shoulder. "You two, with me! The rest split up in groups of three!"

The only had three teams like this but it was the safest way.

If someone got injured, one person could stay by their side while the third person could go get help.

The knights followed his command and split up to cover more ground.

They were also three one one this way, as long as the riders didn't team up to attack one group after the other.

In that case they were in trouble.

A dragon touched down in front of them just a few metres into the village and Roman slid out of the saddle.

A Hornbreaker. Big and tough but slow and with a vulnerable stomach.

Its rider was tall and jumped in front of the creature drawing a sword.  
They gave the dragon a sign and it lowered itself onto its stomach, completely covering the vulnerable spot.

"I've got the rider, you find a way to kill the dragon," Roman drew his own sword. This was a battle. He couldn't allow himself to wonder whether the dragon deserved it.

He was taller than his opponent and his metal armour harder than the leather parts of the rider's but the metal was also heavier and would slow him down, especially if the fight lasted too long.

The rider moved first, charging at him with the blade held tightly.

Roman dodged the strike and tried to take advantage of it leaving the rider's body open.

He only managed to hit them in the side with the sword pommel.

They stumbled back and Roman moved to strike again.

The rider screamed as the blade hit his shoulder and tore through the leather.  
Thick drops of blood hit the dusty ground.

They pressed their hand over the wound and held the injured arm out, still holding their sword if a lot shakier.  
They stumbled back towards the houses and pressed themselves against the wall.

Roman frowned. Like this, they had nowhere to dodge and they couldn't block with their injury.

"Watch out!" someone yelled to his left and Roman spun around just in time to see the Hornbreaker jumping at him.

He tried to move back but his foot caught on something and he fell flat on his back, the impact vibrating through his entire body and making his teeth clatter.

The Hornbreaker landed over him, it's leg barely missing him.

He felt the warmth radiating from its stomach, just centimetres over him.

It growled and the ground seemed to shake under him.

All he had to do was raise his sword and it'd be dead. It would be so easy.

But he couldn't move. His muscles were tense and his breathing fast and shallow and he couldn't move.

If it died now it would drop down on him and crush him.

If he killed it, he would also kill himself.

The Hornbreaker tensed and suddenly it jumped up.

Roman closed his eyes at the gust of wind before squinting up again.

He could see the dragon flying away, the rider on their back. Retreating.

"Holy hell, he's alive!" someone called out.

A knight fell to their knees next to Roman.

"Are you alright? Can you move?" they asked.

Slowly Roman stemmed himself up. He was still shaking.

"Y-yes. I'm fine," they helped him stand up. "Are you two okay?"

Both of his companions nodded.

Roman took a deep breath.

"Okay," he said more to himself than to them. "We need to go on. Let's go."

He pushed through the shock. He could let himself break down over this later, now he had to safe lives, he reminded himself and sat up onto Maximus again.

The other two followed his lead and they rid deeper into the town.

"What are your names?" the one who had helped Roman up suddenly asked. "I'm Karan of Tebahl. If we die today, I'd like to know by whose side I died."

"You can't think like that," the other one said. "But if you must know, my name is Umbra."

"And you're Roman, correct?" Karan asked. "I've heard of you."

"I hope only good things," Roman tried to smile.

Karan shrugged. "Depends. Mostly that you're good at your job but also a few other things. Is your wife really a former rider?"

Roman actually smiled at that.

"Is that what people say these days?" he asked. "No. I don't even have a wife. So I don't think she used to be a rider."

Umbra scoffed. "People also think I have a husband. At this point, I could probably tell them that I have a wife and they would keep talking about my husband."

"I have boyfriends," Roman admitted. "We live in one of the smaller villages close by."

Karan shot him a concerned look and went to speak but before they could one of the other groups met them.

"The riders are moving on," their leader informed them. "We didn't find anybody else here and neither did the others."

Roman looked up in the sky.

"Where are they going?"

"Southwest."

Roman's heart dropped.

From here there was only one settlement southwest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least they rendered one rider unable to fight.  
> Better than nothing.
> 
> Please tell me your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you! (Or, like, crush you)


	11. I'll find a way out of the flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Fire, Injury, near death, panic (?)

"Roman, your horse is foaming at the mouth! You need to slow down!" someone yelled at him.

He didn't listen.

He could see the village now, could see the dragons all around it and the thick black smoke coming from the school.

With one swift movement he jumped off Maximus' back and ran towards the building.

The other knights that arrived from somewhere else just after them didn't matter.

Whatever strategy or formation they came up with didn't matter.

The net catapult they were building up to shoot down dragons and riders didn't matter.

Roman burst through the door of the school.

Inside the air was thick with smoke and heat and it stung in his eyes but he didn't care.

He broke down one door after the other, finding empty, burning classroom after empty, burning classroom, terrified there might be just one not empty.

Just as he turned to go on a support beam crashed down right in front of him, blocking his path and sparks flew up.

He still had one more room to check, he realised and felt panic claw at his heart.

Flames liked at his armour, heating the metal to the point of agony as he climbed over the fallen beam and nearly ripped the last door out of its hinges.

The entire room was engulfed in flames but not a single body insight. Empty like all the others.

Roman tried to breathe but choked on the thick air. He had to get out of here. He had to get out of here _now_.

A window shattered in the heat and Roman stumbled towards it through the fire.

He punched out the biggest shards and forced his body through the opening.  
Glass scratched against his armour and suddenly there was more of his weight outside than inside and he fell forward, landing on the ground with a crash.

Still coughing he gasped in the fresh air and got to his feet to get away from the flames, ignoring the searing heat around his feet and the pounding in his head.

He still had to check at home.

He had to make sure Patton, Logan and Virgil had gotten out of here.

They had to be safe.

He could hear the sounds of fighting but didn't pay it any mind, avoiding the main street because he couldn't risk getting caught up in the fight now.

He had to make sure they were safe.  
The other knights could hold their own. They knew how to fight dragons.  
His lovers didn't.

He kept his eyes glued on the swaying ground to avoid stumbling over rubble, tools that had fallen over or even just his own feet.

Roman only looked up when he heard a scream directly above him, just in time to see a dragon, caught in a net, crash into the house he was standing next to and a smaller body colliding with him.

The air was knocked out of him by the impact, his head slammed against the ground and his ears rang as he opened his eyes again.

The rider that had crashed into him sat up slowly, clearly in pain, noticed him and scrambled backwards.

For a moment both of them stared at each other.

Then the rider slowly got to his feet and hesitantly offered Roman a hand.

He took it and pulled himself up. The rider nodded at him once and hurried towards the dragon trashing in its net.

Roman stared for a moment longer, flabbergasted, before nodding once, even if they couldn't see it and it made his head swim, and ran on.

He was pretty sure that the rider knew that if they had landed on the ground they wouldn't have survived the fall.

Weird how something that simple could form a truce, even just for a few moments.  
Roman tried to commit the markings on their helmet to memory.

He finally caught sight of the stream and didn't bother with the bridge, just running through, even if the sudden coldness seemed to burn even more against his feet.

The door stood open slightly and it made his heart skip a beat.

He ran through and stopped in the living room, breathing heavily, trying to hear if anyone was there.

The room was empty.

Patton's favourite pot was shattered on the floor.

Roman went on into the kitchen.

Cabinets had been thrown open and raided in a hurry. By his lovers or someone else?

His heartbeat picked up even more, loud in his ears.

The bedroom was a mess.

Things thrown around, the closet felt standing open.

Something clattered as it fell to the floor, catching Roman's attention.

A pen.

He got closer to the desk.

Some of Logan's books were gone, most still there, but what stood out was the small note, lying in the middle of them.

The handwriting was messy as if it had been written in a hurry and slightly smeared in a few places.

**Roman,  
There are dragons coming.  
Don't know when you'll read this but: Helal, The laughing Deer, next new moon.  
See you there,  
V**

Roman's legs gave out underneath him.

They had seen them coming.

They had fled.

With a relieved sigh he let his head fall against the edge of the tabletop.

The pain in his legs seemed to fall away until it was far away.  
The entire room felt far away until Roman couldn't even see properly it anymore.

His vision gave out and when his body fell against the clothes scattered over the floor he was already unconscious.

\---

The world came back to him slowly.

He could hear muffled voices, slowly becoming clearer.

The biting smell of alcohol hit him and he scrunched up his nose in distaste.

Blinking against the light he managed to open his eyes.

It took him a moment until he could figure out where he was.

A medical tent.

With a grown he pushed himself up and was awarded with a pulsating pain just behind the forehead.

Roman blinked a few times in the hopes that it would get better but it didn't.

His feet and legs were wrapped in bandages and he could feel some around his head as well.

The memories of what had happened came back to him and he looked around the tent frantically for any of the other knights that had fought in his home village.

There were only two other people, an older knight Roman recognised from his days as a squire and a little girl who's arm was wrapped in bandages and supported by sticks.

She looked at him and waved shyly.

"Hello," Roman greeted back and smiled at her. "My name is Roman. What's yours?"

"Fala," the girl answered in a small voice.

"That's a nice name," Roman told her. "Where are you from, Fala?"

"Janhills," she told him, digging the fingers of her uninjured arm into her blanket. "Do you fight dragons?"

"Yes, I do."

"They're scary. So big. And loud," Fala frowned down at the blanket. "I don't like them."

"Did they hurt your arm?" Roman asked.

Fala shook her head. "I fell. But Pa said that they broke the chicken stall. He just fixed it and now they broke it again."

"Where is your Pa now?"

"He's outside, talking to the nice doctor because she's making my arm better."

Roman smiled at her.

"Do you have a Pa?" Fala asked.

"Yeah, I do. But he's somewhere else. I don't live with him anymore."

"Isn't that lonely?" 

Roman chuckled. "No, it's not. I live with the people I love. I could never be lonely as long as I have them."

He felt a pang of pain but pushed it away. They had made it away from the village safety.  
They had to.

"Are they outside too?" Fala asked.

"I'm not sure. They had to run from the dragons and I had to fight so I'm not sure where they ran. But they could be outside."

The entrance of the tent was pushed open and a man who looked like he had been crying came in and smiled at Fala.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said and sat down on the empty bed next to her. "The doctor said we can go and eat something together. We just have to be careful that you don't hit your arm on anything. Would you like that?"

Fala smiled at the man, probably her father and nodded.

"I'm hungry!" she said and he took her uninjured hand to lead her outside. "I met a knight!" Roman heard her say and smiled to himself.

The doctor came in a few moments later.

"You're awake," he noted. "That's good. How are you feeling?"

"Slight headache and my legs hurt but otherwise fine," Roman shrugged.

"Good to hear. I couldn't be sure how bad the head injury was. Your feet are burned pretty badly. It'll heal with time but will definitely leave scars. Did you get hit by a fir blast or something?"

"More or less," Roman shrugged. He didn't feel like telling the doctor that he had deliberately run into the fire. "How long was I out?"

"Just a few hours. The attacks have ended and so far it looks good for us. Many houses destroyed but no civilians killed as far as we know."

Roman felt a weight fall off his shoulders.

"That's... That's good to hear. Thank you."

"No, problem," the doctor smiled. "You should rest now. I'll get you something to eat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you! (And please don't run into fires like Roman did)


	12. I'll meet you there where worlds collide

The doctor had told Roman that he shouldn't even try to stand up with the condition his feet were in.  
That it was a miracle that his lungs hadn't given out on him and that if he wanted to recover he should stay right where he was, on his bed in the medical tent.

He had been told that Maximus hadn't survived the exertion and that no civilians had died, in any of the cities and that he should take his time to recover.

On the small chest next to his cot, however, was Virgil's note.

Helal was a big city a few days rides away. 

Roman wasn't sure when the next new moon was but a voice at the back of his head told him that if he wanted to meet them he'd have to leave. Otherwise, he'd be too late.  
Otherwise, he'd have no idea when he'd get to see them again.

He couldn't risk that.

The doctor told him that he was insane when he had tried to explain his situation.

If he wanted to leave he'd have to do it while the doctor was gone.

Probably at night so that nobody could just drag him back and so he could steal a horse. There was no way he'd make it anywhere without a horse.  
If it was nighttime and he was lucky he'd even be able to see how long new moon was away.

So, Roman waited until everything was silent and only a few torches shone between the tents. Their dull light was visible even inside the medical tent and he could make out the shapes of the beds.

Slowly he sat up. If he moved too quickly the bed would creak and he didn't want to risk anyone hearing him.

He set his feet on the ground and a jolt of pain almost made him scream.

Gasping for air he clenched his hands around the bed frame.

Shit. 

Still breathing heavily he looked up to the tent exit that suddenly seemed way farther away.

He couldn't walk that far. There was no way.

He glanced at the other beds.

They were all about an arm's length apart, the last one standing just next to the exit.

Maybe he could use them to make it outside. He'd have to figure it out from there.

Roman ripped off a small piece of fabric from his tunic and shoved it between his teeth to bite into and to muffle any noises he couldn't keep from slipping out.

He could do this.

Again, he put his feet down and almost blacked out when he put his weight on them.

The next bed creaked miserably as he all but fell onto it and he froze.  
Ignored the thousand needles piercing his legs and listened for any indication that someone had heard him.

Nothing.

Roman let out a small breath.

Still, he'd have to be more careful.

He shifted to bring his legs to the other side of the bed and stood again.

He stumbled over the rough floor and leaned against the bedframes he passed.  
His vision was blurry and he only focused on the next step.

One more step.

And one more.

One more step then he'd stop.

Though he could do one more.

He only realised that he had reached the entrance when his hand brushed linen.

He stumbled through and let himself drop to the floor.

Out here the torches were brighter and his eyes needed a moment to adjust.

There was no one in sight and two tents over he could hear horses.

About a hundred metres.

He couldn't walk there.

He was trembling all over from just getting out there. He couldn't stand up again.

If Maximus were alive Roman could have called him. It might've taken a few tries because Maximus could be a stubborn ass but he'd come without any human hearing it.

But Maximus was dead.

Roman had pushed him past his limits and by doing so killed him.

A clump formed in his throat.

He pushed the guilt back. He could deal with that later.

There didn't seem to be anyone around though Roman knew that there had to be at least one person on the watch for attackers.

He crawled towards the horse noises doing his best to keep his feet off the ground.

Who even cared about dignity anymore?

His pants caught on a few rocks and ripped over his knee.  
Roman cursed under his breath.

The tent he passed was a general's tent. He couldn't recall a general being part of their operation but maybe they had arrived later on?

The person in the tent was snoring loud enough for Roman to hear.

The tent next to it was bigger, but luckily Roman could go past on the shorter side. 

Also a sleeping tent he guessed to distract himself from the gravel digging into his hands and knees.

The sharp smell of blood reached his nose and he grimaced.

A moment later he heard the footsteps.

Heavy boots on dry earth and stones.

A guard.

They were coming closer.

Roman ducked under the tent wall and rolled into the dim inside.

Through the thin fabric he could make out the silhouette of someone tall and wide coming around the corner.

Roman held his breath as they slowly sauntered past, exhaustion slowing their steps.

He could hear them jawn and a deep voice he recognised as Caroline the Stronghearted's cursing quietly.

The Troll went on muttering something that sounded like "just one more hour" to herself.

She went around a corner again and her footsteps became distant.

Roman crawled on, still inside the tent until he reached the end.

Carefully he climbed under the wall again and towards the temporary stables. It was pretty much just a wooden fence keeping the horses from running away but it did the trick.

Roman used the fence to pull himself up without putting too much weight on his feet and scanned the horses.

He'd need a human-sized one that could take him far in as little time as possible.

A big horse with thick, shaggy fur caught his attention.

Big but still in the right size range for a human.

He wondered who the beautiful creature belonged to. Not that it really mattered.

The saddles had been left on the fence as well which seemed like a bad decision to Roman but he wasn't about to complain. He had to be quick if he didn't want Caroline to catch him.

It wasn't hard to tell which saddle belonged to the horse he was about to steal. It was a fancy one with a long, thick girth to go around the horse's stomach.

Roman tucked it under one arm while holding on to the fence with the other.

"Hey there," he greeted the horse, slowly getting closer. "You seem like a nice one. I'm not going to do anything, I promise. I just need your help, okay, beautiful?"

The horse seemed nervous but didn't kick out as he put the saddle on. Roman counted that as a win.

"I'm sure you won't protest when I tighten it either, right?" he asked. It felt like some kind of gamble. If the horse got too loud Caroline or someone else might come. Roman didn't know many horses that let people tighten saddles without protest.

Slowly he pulled the strap, having to put his weight on his feet again.

"Yeah, that's a good girl," he said, shaking slightly.

The horse snorted and shook her head.

"Just a bit tighter..."

She moved a little away from him and he had to follow it, his legs burning all over.

"G-good girl," he whispered. "Now the snaffle... Good job."

He held onto the saddle again and managed to bring his foot up to the stirrup iron.

Biting down harshly he pulled himself up into the saddle and took a moment just to breathe.

"I really hope you can jump over that fence," he told the horse and pressed his thighs into her stomach to get her to the fence before turning around. "Otherwise we're in so much trouble."

The horse snorted again and before he could do anything she galloped towards it.

Roman cursed.

The horse jumped and for a moment gravity seemed to lose its hold on them.

Then the horse's hooves met ground again.

Roman could see the lights of Janhills in the distance and lightly pulled at reigns to change the direction.

The horse obeyed far easier than Maximus ever had and raced in the direction Roman believed Helal to be.

He glanced up at the moon. 

It was a little after half-moon, decreasing.

He could make it in time.

Behind him, in the camp someone sounded an alarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! 
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> Don't lat any dragons eat you!


	13. I'll help you if you help me

Roman only let the horse stop when the sun had come up and he could barely keep his eyes open anymore.

"Thanks," he mumbled and slid out of the saddle, only to fall to his knees with a pained grunt the moment his feet touched the ground.

The horse began eating the leaves of a small bush.

Roman leaned back against a tree and finally let himself sleep.

When Roman woke up again his everything hurt.

His legs felt as if millions of needles were being stabbed into them, his back and neck ached uncomfortably after the awkward position he had slept in and a headache pulsated just behind his forehead.  
His mouth was dry and his throat felt like sandpaper when he swallowed.

The horse was still there to his surprise.

"Hello," he croaked out.

"Asshole," the horse said.

"What-?"

"Asshole," the horse repeated. "What's your damage, just kidnapping an innocent creature like me?"

"I um... I'm sorry?"

"You better be. Do you even know how much trouble you're in right now?"

Roman numbly shook his head.

"That fucker will probably harvest your bones for this!"

"What fucker?" Roman asked.

"The one that kidnapped me first and stole my horn. I refuse to call him anything other than fucker. Your kind calls him general."

"Fuck," Roman breathed out. He had stolen the general's horse. No - the general's unicorn.

"You're lucky I hate him more than you," the unicorn said. "I won't stomp you to death with my hooves. Just get this stuff off me and I'll go and try to get my horn back."

"Wait," Roman said and coughed. "Maybe we can help each other."

"How so?"

"I can't walk right now," his throat burnt more and more with every word. "And you probably won't be able to get your horn back on your own."

The unicorn didn't look happy but didn't disagree with him.

"If you can take me to Helal until the next new moon I will help you get your horn back. I promise."

The unicorn seemed to contemplate it for a moment.

"I suppose your sword might be useful," it muttered. "Fine! Deal. Now get on, there's a river down that hill and I'm thirsty."

Roman managed to pull himself up by a tree and the unicorn didn't even complain when he struggled to get on its back.

"After we drink can you get this disgusting thing out of my face?" it asked.

"Okay, sure. But if you gallop, I need something to hold on to if I don't want to fall off. I doubt you want me to use your mane."

"Asshole."

"Would you stop calling me that?" Roman hissed and his voice nearly gave out. "I'm just saying how it is."

"Still. I guess as long you take it out of my mouth it's acceptable. Still don't like it though. You should probably stop speaking, by the way. You sound like shit."

Roman huffed. 

"Fine."

The unicorn was kinda right. He sounded like a suffocating toad.

It moved quickly with an elegance Roman couldn't quite describe.  
Even without the horn, it wasn't hard to tell that it was an unusual creature.

The river was wide and clear and Roman greedily tried to drink splashing more on his face than in his mouth until he finally made a cup with his hands and managed to drink from it.

After he had stilled his thirst and the burning in his throat and lessened he removed the bit from the unicorn's mouth.

"That's better," it said taking a bite from a nearby bush. "Much better."

Roman took the opportunity to look through its saddle pockets.

A few bottles, a small purse with coins clicking inside, a small blanket, a flask with alcohol and some bandages in the left, a dagger, a map, some bread and some letters as well as a general's badge.

Roman let his fingers trace the symbol. This could be helpful. The places he could get in just by showing it at the door...

He slipped it into his own pocket where it'd be easier to reach.

Shortly after the unicorn ducked to let him climb on again and marched into the river.

"If they use those ugly hounds to look for us it'll throw them off," it said. 

Roman only nodded.

"Why do you want to go to Helal anyway?" the Unicorn asked eventually. 

"The Dragonriders attacked my hometown. My lovers were there. They managed to flee luckily and one of them left me a note to meet them there."

"So you're looking for your family."

"Yeah, exactly."

"I don't know what happened to my family after I was captured," the unicorn said. "I'm pretty sure they managed to flee. But they probably think I'm dead. I have no idea where to find them again."

"I'm sorry," Roman said.

"If I had my horn back maybe I could find them. So I guess we're helping each other find our families."

"Let's hope we both succeed."

In the distance behind them dog barking cut through the air.

"Fuck," the unicorn cursed and finally got out of the river. "Guess our followers are catching up."

It fell into a gallop and Roman held the reins tightly. His instinct and habit told him to hold himself with his legs, the burning pain told him not to.  
He was glad that the unicorn knew to run on its own and didn't react to him pressing against its sides and letting up again in irregular intervals.

By the time the sun disappeared over the horizon they hadn't heard anyone behind them in a while.

In a rock niche nearby the path but hidden from sight the unicorn let Roman down again and went to get dry wood. In the meantime, Roman cut the bread into pieces. It was barely enough for the two of them after he had already eaten some at noon.  
They'd have to get food somewhere tomorrow.

The unicorn came back, Roman lit a small fire ignoring the way his throat closed up just seeing the flames lick at the wood and dance into the night sky and pulled out the map.

The general had some areas marked, some question marks in other areas.

It looked like the map had been used to look for something.

Roman ignored the notes and tracked down Helal and where he guessed they were by now.  
He explained it to the unicorn too to make sure it knew where to go.

"Do you have that letter your lover wrote?" it asked.

"No," Roman went back to studying the map. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you leave it at that camp?"

"Yeah, didn't have the chance to take it with me. Why?"

"In the letter it said where and when to meet?"

"Yes. Why?" Roman began losing his patience.

"So they can figure out where we're going?"

Roman's face fell.

"Fuck."

"Then we should probably find a way to keep them away from your family," the unicorn said bitterly. "They're cruel."

"They won't hurt my family. They'll be angry that I took you but technically I'm still one of them. They'll punish me but not them."

"How can you be so sure about that?" the unicorn asked.

Roman didn't have an answer to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But at least he has a friend now...
> 
> Please tell me your thoughts in the comments! I love to read them!
> 
> Don't let any dragons eat you!


End file.
